Free Mind, Creative Mind

As you can imagine, a recent snow storm and a tree branch shooting through my roof and bedroom ceiling flattened my muse wafer thin. Today the sun is warm and shiny. All over town people are clearing roofs, sawing, grinding, or piling up enough fallen branches to build a complete forest. Good times.

My muse has recovered herself nicely, as always. Somehow, my life takes a hit; her life takes a hit. The mother and daughter in my young adult novel in progress are in big, big trouble. Stress has chipped away at mother, leaving daughter in charge at 17. Sheesh. Better get on that right away.

When I say free mind, creative mind, I don't mean free from trouble. While a bad life event can cause enough stress to paralyze ones mind, it's only temporary. Once the crisis has eased, what you have left is a bad thing that happened. The mind hasn't let go of the event, it has just stored it.

So, when you write a novel, you need to create trouble for your characters again and again until they have to do something or change something to survive. That's when your mind is free to refer to its file of bad things that happen to people. I don't know about you, but I'll be able to refer to my bad things file for the rest of my life.

Changes in the Air, Ideas Everywhere

We're about to go from a beautiful autumn to a preview of the winter ahead of us. I don't know how to prepare for it other than slip into a snug, cozy focus.  For me that means candles, a mug of something hot, fleecy clothing, and a good book to get lost in. And, of course, writing.

I love my home office: comfy and cozy, tools of my writing trade within reach, a pleasant place of music, candlelight, and creative energy.

Today, I'll write. The words await.

Speaking of soul...

Do you believe we have some sort of soul, some sort of life essence? When I think of my soul, I include all the ingredients that add up to being me: my life experience, my DNA, my memories, my feelings.. And I can't help including anyone I've ever been, the people in my life from whom I've learned  what I know so far, the decisions I've made- right or wrong.

So, when I say that I write 'soul to page,' I mean my ideas come from somewhere deep within me and who I am. And, though I feel I have no choice but to put story to page, I happily share myself and my words with young people of any age.

Welcome

This is a blog for those who love to get lost in a good book, whether reading or writing one.

I'm Maggie J D'Amato, and I write YA fiction for those young or young at heart.